swigso

Hello,

This is what I understand, If you are travelling before the suite class

is introduced prior to the roll out in April 2015.

Dining- you have select dining, this means that you can dine anytime

In the main dining room, or make a reservation for a specific time

To do this call the captains club or do it on board

Phone

U.S. & Canada:

1.800.760.0654

 

Blu, is the dining room for Aqua Class and is really good, again it is

open dining talk to the Matre D once on board and you will usually

Be taken care of.

 

Speciality Dining - I thought that you only received one free night

in a Sky Suite and that was for the first night when the restaurants are

not usually fully booked, again either call Captains Club or wait till on board

 

Myself usually I wait till I'm onboard as I like to be flexible but if you

want set times call Captains Club not the main number as you will be

on hold forever.

Now if you sail after the new Suite Class is introduced

then it's a whole new ball game

Hope this helps

am looking at these two cruises - May 2016 - and am hoping that I can obtain feedback. Haven't been on either ship yet but will be on Equinox in March 2015. Looking forward to input about the itineraries and ships. My husband is not terribly find of sea days so I am trying to maximize days in port. Would also appreciate advice on selecting cabins.

 

Although the Constellation doesn't have the Wow factor of the S class

Ships, she is a beautiful ship with a fantastic Crew.

IMHO I would go for this cruise, you visit some great ports, Malta, Crete and have an overnight stay in Venice, sailing from Rome you can

choose to arrive a few days earlier and take in the Eternal City.

Post cruise you could stay in Italy and travel to Florence.

I would also watch for price drops and look at possible upgrades to Aqua Class.

You are on Honeymoon just enjoy

Book the cabin now, then book on board and transfer the cabin you have on hold

Cancel that booking, and allocate the new booking to your TA

I think someone did this

Maybe I'm wrong and you cannot do this

Hi Project Girl,

Always good to read your honest reviews, I did a TA last year

on the Navigator of the seas, wanted to do this one to see Bermuda

but work schedules wouldn't allow.

Have read all the reviews and would say that the main complaint seems

to stem from missing out on Bermuda and the short stay in NYC,

The Eclipse is a wonderful ship and I'm glad you had an OK time,

as you say I bet you cannot believe you were on the same cruise.

Take care

Hi Arno,

I think it's a great thread,

The Staff on board are greatly appreciated by us,

And it's nice to get back on board and be remembered by them.

It also adds to the expectation when you find that a CD or CC host

Is on board as you know that the service will once again be fantastic.

Never had a bad cruise but some are just better.

Hope you had a great trip

please don't let the detractors stop you doing this thread,

Have a look at this

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2129806

Best wishes

[QUOTE=CCC's;44800228]Sailed on Celebrity Solstice last November and one suggestion could be ...... when you arrive at the Customer Relations area there is a machine which dispenses Ticket Numbers. Then, when your number is called or is lit up on a board above the Customer Relations desk, you go to desk No.1, 2, 3, 4 etc. and get served. Using this method means you don't have long, snaking lines, but everyone can either stand around casually or take a seat somewhere close by. Very civilized in my books.[/QUOTE]

Great idea,
It works well at the Deli counters, maybe someone in X's IT department
can get to work on setting it up, should be up and working by 2099 😜
What I don't understand is when on a cruise why all the hurry, apart from
the rudeness and being selfish some people just don't care.
I'm with you Lois, but if I had been waiting there would be no way
that person would have been seen before me.
It's a pity sometimes that the GR staff don't grow a pair and send
these rude people to the back of the Queue,

I tried to search this out but mostly get threads that are several years old so I'm just going to ask. :-)

 

We will be taking our first cruise on Celebrity this January. On other cruise lines the consensus was that Traditional dinning generally got better service and often better meals. We have also always enjoyed having he same wait staff who quickly learn our preferences.

 

However, in reading reviews I get bits and pieces that lead me to believe that Select Dining may be best for us. Here is what I am hearing and would like to hear the thoughts of those that have experienced the select dinning options.

 

• You are quickly seated within minutes in general and even quicker if you have called in a reservation.
  
• The delivery of food and the quality of food and service is of the same quality as in the traditional dinning option.
  
• The tables are less crowded/close than in Traditional dining.
  
• You can request the same wait staff from night to night if you wish and generally get that without undue delay.
  

 

If those things are mostly true than the flexibility to set our dining time each day would make select a desirable option. So, what do you think?

 

Love Select Dining,

You can choose to eat with folks you have met ( if they are select dining )

But on one occasion we have dined with people who were traditional

And have in fact gone to their table (there were spaces table 4 8 only 6 at dinner)

Or you can choose to join a bigger table , or just eat at a table for 2

And maybe get to talk to those next to you,

As for wait times can depend when you go at peak times

can be 10 minutes but just wait in the nearby bar and they will come

Get you,

As for having a reservation have only done this a few times when

dining with others to me making a reservation rather defeats the object

Of having anytime dining.

And yes if you find wait staff that are what you want you can request

To be seated in that area every night .

Have a great cruise.

:cool:

When in St Thomas this is a great day

http://Www.independence44.us

Also in Antigua get the bus to Nelsons Dockyard it

Is really fun to do it on your own, when there you can get a

Boat across to a resort Hotel where the beach is fantastic.

Check out the ports of call Board to each of your stops

And also join the roll call for your sailing

The Eclipse is a fantastic ship and the 14 night cruise is fantastic

If you book via a TA in the US you will get the new 123 Go promotion

Which for European Cruises gives Free Gratuities, Classic Drink Package

And $300 On Board Credit if you book Aqua Class or Concierge Class

Cabins.

 

Here is the link

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2123510

On the Equinox there is also the Gastropub where Cellarmasters

used to be

Hi,

Due to Cruise on Celebrity Eclipse over Xmas & New Year. First time with Celebrity as previously stuck with P&O. I was wondering if anyone can recommend the drinks package on offer? Value for money, range of drinks included etc?

Usually go for this on other cruises, but just looking for any advice / help if possible?

Much appreciated in advance.

Robert.

 

I assume you are from the UK, you should have received the free Beverage Classic package, if not call Celebrity or your TA,

If in the UK you cannot cancel and get a deposit refund ,otherwise it would be better to cancel and rebook through a US travel Agent as there is a promotion

Giving Bev Package, $300 on board credit and free Gratuities if Concierge Balcony cabin or above is booked, there is a thread about it below.

Not worth the $55 per day in my opinion,

As stated above Blu is mainly couples, if you have

The drink package the water is free anyway,

if not it won't cost you $55 per day,

The Sauna on the M class ships are free the Persian Garden is

really not anything to write home about

Well for me it's a so what, all those bemoaning Michaels Club being used

For Zenith and Suite guests, I ask why didn't you use the place in the past?

As for an exclusive dining room, Aqua class has had that since the inception of the S class Ships.

All the other passengers have their own exclusive dining room,

I enjoy what celebrity has to offer and they also IMHO

look after their past guests very well.

This seems as a way of rewarding those who choose to cruise in suites

and that makes good business sense, if it pushes up the price of suites

maybe it will help to keep those balcony prices lower:D

Sorry to veer off-topic a wee bit, but...

 

Our reservation indicates we have Select Dining but we are booked in AQ, therefore Blu is our dining option. In this example, there is no Select Dining in Blu. It's first come first served, correct?

 

Blu is anytime/Select dining, it used to say either traditional

or late till the we page was fixed. You can though also book

a table in Blu at a set time if you wish

Hi all

We love to go to Cellarmasters (on the S class)

After dinner where there is usually a good selection

and have a nice glass of Port.

Don't know what we will do when they become Gastro Pubs.

Prior to dinner there is always a nice selection in the Buffet,

Lovely to take back to the cabin and watch the waves from the balcony

Whilst having a nice glass of wine or port,

Thanks for that revue I was looking at that ship, but think I will

stay with Celebrity, the Martini Bar is a great place to

while away an evening before hitting the Casino :D:D

Hi

I have done this itinary about 5 times, it is a great trip but

for the best prices book early and if you can use a TA in the

USA,you will get better deals and can cancel without penalty

unlike the UK and I believe Aussie.

The S class ships are fantastic, but here's the thing,

For about the same money you can do a B2B on the

Sister ship Equinox which takes in the Panama Canal

and also does some great Island Stops.

Either way you will have a great time.

I usually travel Feb March but late January can have great deals,

But I find this too soon after the Xmas break

Did you find it

Here is a copy of a post from the Antigua Board

 

Hi everyone,

Just an update for those adventurous souls. DD (15) and I were in Antigua last week and following the great advice here we easily took the #17 bus out to Nelson's Dockyard and English Harbor. We did not want a beach day after a harrowing riptide experience in Virgin Gorda the day before, so I changed my plans to take the bus to Valley Church and went to the Dockyard instead.

 

Basically if you took the tour through the cruiseline it was $55; if you got off the ship and asked at the Visitor's Information office they were ferrying folks to buses that would take you for $25 + $7 admission; we went the route of the $3 RT bus...

 

Just to let you know, we are both petite blondes, well traveled with a normal degree of caution and a bit of "don't mess with me" tough-guy-ness. We felt completely comfortable the entire experience and would recommend the buses in Antigua.

 

Antigua Bus Routes

#17 - Valley Rd, Joseph's Lane, All Saints Road, Belmont, Clarks Hill, All Saints Village, Liberta Village, Falmouth, Cobbs Cross, English Harbour.

 

 

To Bus stop:

From the dock, you walk straight -- Keep going straight to Market Street and turn right. Then it's a short walk and you'll come to a fork in the road where you bear right (there's an enormous sculpture at that fork, you can't miss it). There is also the big public marketplace. Once past the fork you'll come to the bus station on the right. Some posters have described this walk as going through "seedy" areas. If you have ever lived in any metropolitan area or ventured out at all this area is not seedy; it's just 'real life.' Only danger is the uneven sidewalks. I would not recommend for anyone not physically fairly fit/active due to the uneveness of the roads and the fact that it is a good 10+ minute walk.

 

 

You do not buy tickets. Just look for Bus # 17 (or your desired route) - the buses are in "slots" with numbers assinged to them. We waited about 10 minutes to leave. We and a German tourist family were the only 'non Antiguans' on the bus. Cost was $1.50 each. The driver wanted payment up front. On the ride back we paid when we got off.

 

We took a lovely leisurely ride all the way to the last stop at Nelson's Dockyard and wandered around it, and the English Harbor for a bit. Flagged down a returning bus in a matter of minutes and took it back to the bus station. Since you are going terminus to terminus it was super easy. Granted, there was no narration involved, but a lot of scenery and 'real life.' On the ride back we were the only tourists on the bus.

 

 

Returned Sunday from a cruise to Antigua and these directions from post #1 are spot on.

We took the #17 bus after waiting 15 or so minutes for it to fill up to the dockyard and they dropped us off right in front. Admission is now $8/pp to the dockyard and we had a fun time walking around looking at all the boats and museum. We were hoping to take the water taxi to Shirley Heights but the lady at the front desk said it was no running that day.

We spend a couple hours wandering around and then walked back out to find the #17 bus and immediately took us back. The way there on the bus there were several stops maybe a 30 minute drive and on the way back it was a 15 minute drive as fast as our driver was driving. Round trip on the bus for 2 people and entrance into the park was $24.

I really love no like single malt and find the Premium

Package has enough choice for me,

Glenmorangie and McClallen I can put up with,

In the UK asda just wrongly priced a beautiful fifteen

year old Glenmorangie Malt at £15 ($24) so bought the lot

they only had 6 bottles been scouring Asdas (Walmart in the USA)

For more but without success 😎😎

Hi Arno,

Great to see him what a great Ambassador for the cruise line,

Enjoy your current cruise schedule, the Eclipse will miss you both:cool:

What wonderful memories!

 

I miss the live chamber music on all the ships, the beautiful main dining rooms where you anticipated dinners each night because the food was the best at sea and Bob, I remember Happy Happy on our Hawaiian cruise. We ran into Happy, Happy on another cruise in the Caribbean. I went up to him, did the suck em up and he laughed and said, yes,

 

And, oh those desserts!

 

Pat

 

He was on the Summit when we sailed Hawaii, I was reminiscing a few cruises ago and one of the guys at the scanners heard me and said that guy there is his

Nephew, it was nice to find out he was doing well. He certainly made everyone smile

Beth, our butler told us that the ice buckets were removed because of cross contamination. I think that is so they don't start a noro virus on board. I agree that it seems silly not to put free water in suites as it is free to aqua guests I solved that problem by having the beverage package. I get a big bottle of water at one of the bars on my way back to my room.

 

Pat

Her is a tip for water if you have the Beverage Package, use the ones in your fridge and replace them from the bars, I drink quite a lot of water so would always get one whenever I was returning to the cabin,

Just an aside cabins used to be called Staterooms now that's a really

big CUT, where did they all go to and when did they change them I didn't even notice :D:cool:

Upon request will the cabin steward bring us a corkscrew, wine glasses and ice bucket with ice in it to put our champagne in?

 

Never needed a corkscrew to open any Champagne

that I have ever had :(